Are you struggling to bring customers into your auto shop? Have you invested in online advertising, but not seeing much return on your investment?
You might have a great set of business cards with an impressive website ready to show off - but that doesn’t mean anything if people don’t know you exist.
So, how can you get your name out there?
How do you connect with the right people at the right time, bring more traffic to your website and get more customers through your doors?
Take a look at these 3 simple changes you can make to your content online, social media accounts and website to help you get more traction in your online marketing.
1. Create Useful, Unique Content
If you want to gain more traction with your online marketing then you need to be able to create content that is both relevant to your industry and of value to your audience.
Digital content comes in so many forms now - you can write blog posts, create infographics, checklists - but the most popular form of content in our industry is by far video.
Get creating unique, interesting video content and see your company’s name get shared far and wide on social media.
People aren’t going to want to follow your business unless they are intrigued by what you post and talk about online. They need to see that they will gain something from the content you write and that it will benefit them in some way.
Here are a few tips on how to create content that is useful for your customers;
Know Your Audience
It sounds like something so simple but a lot of content creators fail to understand who they are talking to. This is one of the most important points when it comes to creating content that is useful for your audience, because if you don’t know who you’re talking to, how can you make it of use to them?
You need to make sure your content is relatable. This will make sure the content you create has value to your customers which will increase the amount of relevant traffic you get to your website.
If you’ve written a really interesting blog post, you can post it to your own website or approach a magazine that’s popular with your ideal customers.
Once you’ve got your content up and live - it’s time to promote, promote, promote.
Pro Tip: Add some images, graphs, and charts into your blog posts to help break up your post and give your content more personality.
2. Redefine Your Social Media Strategy
Social media accounts are vital when it comes to building traction in your digital marketing. A strong social media strategy will attract customers, boost sales and help you grow your company.
Here are a few ways you can improve your social media strategy today.
Get Your Digital Footprint In Order
This is obvious to a lot of people but you’d be amazed at how many businesses don’t update crucial information on their website, social media profiles and Google My Business account.
Make sure that you keep all of your information up to date especially when it comes to having a strong social media strategy. It only takes one wrong link to lose a lot of customers which will only make it harder to bring more traffic to your website.
Keep your phone numbers and email addresses correct or you could lose out on sales.
Add Up-To-Date Photos
If you want to improve your online presence, then you need to keep your social media profiles looking professional and up-to-date. You can do this by keeping your profiles updated with new, professional photos of your business, yourself and your team. Not only will this keep your social media updated, but it will also show new customers that you are still relevant and active.
When updating your main profile pictures on your social media accounts make sure they are consistent throughout all of the platforms you’re on. This helps keep your brand’s visual identity consistent.
Update Regularly
When your customers decide to follow you on social media they expect regular, relevant posts from you. This is why it’s crucial to continuously update your social media with information about you, the industry or your niche.
You can post images of the products you have for sale, live broadcast and event or tweet about any new offers you might have coming up. Any form of interaction or engagement with your customers is important as it helps spread brand awareness and help you gain serious traction in your marketing.
Pro Tip: Everyone is not your audience! Don’t try to reach everyone on your social media - stick with your niche and what you know.
3. Improve Your Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Improving your local SEO is essential for operating on a regional, as opposed to a national, level. Local SEO focuses on prioritizing SERPs (search engine results page) in specific locations rather than searches across the country. A good local SEO strategy relies on your brand’s marketing, your products, and the services that local customers will be interested in.
Optimizing your local SEO means you’ll receive more traffic to your website and will increase your sales. Here are a few ideas you can consider when optimizing your local SEO:
- Optimize your Google My Business profile
- Respond to reviews from customers (both negative and positive!)
- Optimize your website for voice search
- Create content covering local events or news stories
- Optimize your website for mobile use
- Use local keywords in your content
Pro Tip: Engaging with online directories is the perfect way to help improve your local SEO and gain more traction for your website.
Implement these three changes to your digital marketing efforts and you should see some serious results. If you’d like to get a head start on your marketing efforts, take a look at our Marketing MaximizerTM to get you ready for the year ahead.
About The Author
Barry Alt is the founder of Motorhead Digital, providing signature Marketing Maximizer™ programs specifically developed for auto restoration, performance and restyling shops. These programs are geared towards customer acquisition and conversion to keep those project bookings coming.
With over 23 years of experience in digital marketing and web development Barry’s goal is to help clients market and grow their shops through strategic marketing practices. You can reach him at (585) 766-9785,
balt@motorheaddigital.com or online at
MotorheadDigital.com.
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